Appointments

Appointments are available at varying times during the course of the day. Routinely, the first appointment available would be at 08:30 and the last at 17:20. On Mondays and Tuesdays we run some early evening surgeries, where some appointments are pre-bookable two weeks in advance.

Full details of the booking system are available at the surgery.

Consultations are by appointment only. To make an appointment, please call in person at the surgery, telephone 02380 865051 or, if you are registered for online services, book online.

Please remember the telephone lines are very busy early each morning, so please avoid telephoning for non-urgent matters between 08:30 and 09:30.

It is preferable that you consult with the same doctor for a particular problem. This will improve continuity of care.

Appointments are for one person only.

Whilst respecting the importance of confidentiality, if you are able to share with reception staff your reason for wanting a consultation, they will be in a better position to find the most appropriate appointment.

If you cannot obtain an appointment at a time that would have been absolutely ideal to you:

Please don’t take it out on the receptionist!

Remember, the receptionist can only offer what is available.

Be prepared to accept the alternatives that are offered to you.

Planned Telephone Consultations

More patients are now using our planned telephone consultations. If a face to face consultation is not essential, we now offer bookable telephone consultations with doctors. These telephone consultations can save a considerable amount of time for patients and doctors alike.

Extended Hours

Responding to the needs of our working patients we have introduced, on some days, late evening appointments. We have also introduced a regular, monthly, Saturday morning surgery for pre-booked appointments only. Please call the Reception Team on 02380 865051 to check availability.

Cancellations

Please ensure you cancel your appointment if you are unable, or no longer need to keep it. There will be other patients who will wish to use this appointment.

Why does the receptionist need to ask what's wrong with me?

It is NOT a case of the receptionists being nosey!

The reception staff are members of the practice team and it has been agreed they should ask patients "why they need to be seen".

Reception staff are trained to ask certain questions in order to ensure that you receive:

the most appropriate medical care,

from the most appropriate health professional,

at the most appropriate time.

Receptionists are asked to collect brief information from patients:

To help doctors prioritise house visits and phone calls.

To ensure that all patients receive the appropriate level of care.

To direct patients to see the nurse or other health professional rather than a doctor, where appropriate.

Reception staff, like all members of the team, are bound by confidentiality rules.

Any information given by you is treated strictly confidentially.

The Practice would take any breach of confidentiality very seriously and deal with accordingly.

You can ask to speak to a receptionist in private, away from reception.

However, if you feel an issue is very private and do not wish to say what this is, then this will be respected.

Thank you for your support.

TPAL SERVICE

MORE CHOICE FOR PATIENTS IN THE NEW FOREST

APPOINTMENTS AVAILABLE AT:

The Practice at Lymington (TPAL)

Lymington New Forest Hospital

Wellworthy Road

Lymington

SO41 8QD

The Practice is open to all registered patients with the following GP surgeries:-

eConsult is a system that enables patients to contact their GP Practice online, seeking advice and support.

eConsult provides:

- Advice as to where you can get advice from Healthcare Professionals other than your GP (eg. Pharmacist).

- A method of contacting your GP via an eConsult for non-urgent conditions.

- A wide range of self-help resources to help you take care of yourself.

- An easy to understand and easily accessible service with no usernames or passwords.

- A professional, reliable review of symptoms with a response by the end of the next working day.

- Faster treatment than waiting for an appointment.

Please be advised that this service is for patients who are registered at this Practice with non-urgent medical issues. If you believe your problem to be urgent, please contact the surgery on 02380 865051, call NHS 111 or contact 999 if you have a life threatening medical emergency.

Click on the banner above to get started, or take a look at the following video for more information:

Chaperones

If required, we will be happy to provide a Chaperone. Please speak with the receptionist.

Home Visits

Home visits should only be requested if it is impossible for you to visit the surgery. However, please remember that, on average, between 3 to 5 patients can be seen by a doctor in the surgery in the time it takes to do one house call.

If a home visit is required, please request this before 11:00 whenever possible, so that your doctor is then able to plan his/her calls. After midday, the duty doctor for the day will cover all other calls on an emergency basis.

Fit Notes

(Sick Certificates)

You can self-certificate yourself for the first 6 days of any absence from work through illness. Self-certification forms are available from either your employer or any DSS office. They are particularly appropriate for minor illnesses which do not necessitate a visit to your GP.

It is also possible in some circumstances for your doctors to issue a fit note without using up an appointment, ie. if you are already under care of the hospital. The receptionist will be able to discuss this with you; this may save both you and the doctor time. Hospital doctors and nurses can, where appropriate, also issue fit notes.

You can also request fit notes via eConsult. Please click here to access this service.